


Break Free

by Kyriadamorte



Series: The Epic Journey of Heaven's Most Adorable Angel and His Long-Suffering Brother [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Fix-It, Gen, Post-8x10, Season/Series 08
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-17
Updated: 2013-01-17
Packaged: 2017-11-25 21:36:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/643224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyriadamorte/pseuds/Kyriadamorte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Castiel saves Samandriel (and kind of himself).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Break Free

Of all people, it’s Balthazar who saves him in the end. 

Balthazar, who had fought beside him and saved his life countless times. Balthazar, who had stood by him when so many would not. Balthazar, who had only turned against him in an attempt to save him. 

Balthazar. His brother. One of the many he’d slaughtered. The one he most regrets.

It is, perhaps, fitting, Castiel thinks, that it should be Balthazar to save him one last time.

His blade has already pricked Samandriel’s vessel, adding new bloodstains to Alfie’s fast food uniform. Samandriel knows what Castiel has been ordered to do. He knows who has ordered him to do it. And he cannot do anything to stop him, his vessel’s arms hanging loosely at his sides. His eyes look desperately, pleadingly into Castiel’s, tears spilling out the sides.

He sees Balthazar’s face. He sees his eyes, pinched with sorrow and betrayal. His ears echo with a broken “Cas” and the thump of a body hitting the floor.

He will not do this.

_**CASTIEL, KILL HIM!** _

He has been trying to so hard to atone. He’s tried to help people. He has, really. Without any orders or even prompting from others. But will his acts of kindness towards a handful of humans mean anything if he destroys another one of his brothers?

_**CASTIEL! YOU ARE AN ANGEL OF THE LORD! YOU WILL OBEY!** _

And Samandriel is so good. So utterly, purely good in a way that Castiel had forgotten existed amongst the heavenly host. 

_**HE HAS ENDANGERED US ALL!** _

His hand shakes with the effort of refusing.

_**HE MUST DIE!** _

The force of Command weighs like a yoke around his neck. 

But he will not do this. He rebelled once (more than once) and he can do it again.

He feels his vessel shaking.

_**CASTIEL!** _

He pulls the knife away from Samandriel’s chest. He pushes against the bonds of obedience that are currently screaming in outrage.

_**DO IT!** _

He. Breaks. Free.

“Castiel?” comes the hoarse whisper from Samandriel’s bloodied mouth. “What…?”

He picks up his brother’s vessel and hoists it over his shoulder, not pausing to explain. He’s not entirely sure he could explain, even if he had the time and was not (once again) fleeing from the forces of both heaven and hell. The tingling, stinging, blinding shock of it all has left him somewhat stunned. Through it all he does manage to hold onto one thought. _‘Your brother needs you, Castiel. You alone. No other can help him now.’_

And with that, Castiel _flies._

**Author's Note:**

> In the middle of watching "Torn and Frayed," I jokingly told my friend that if Samandriel died I was going to write a fluffy series of drabbles in which Cas and Samandriel run around and have adventures saving babies and kittens and stuff.
> 
> This is that series. It's not nearly as fluffy as I originally intended (at all), but I hope you enjoy reading it all the same.


End file.
